Oyako-Don (Japanese Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl)

I first tried this Japanese rice bowl in upstate NY - the birthplace of Japanese food - and decided that it was interesting enough that I should sort out the backstory.   Having heard the word 'don' before in conjunction with sushi (unagi don, tekka don, etc.), I figured out that this meant 'rice bowl', or something similar.  It's shortened from the word 'donburi', which means bowl.  Now, the interesting part comes from the word 'oyako', which translates as 'parent and child'.  That's because the dish is served with both chicken and egg, meaning that you can consume a whole family with every bite.  And if that's not an ego trip, I don't know what is.  The other thought I had about this dish is that, if people who keep kosher can't have milk and meat, does that mean they shouldn't have egg and chicken in the same bowl?  If anyone has insight here, let me know; all I know is that this is easy and delicious.

Oyako-Don: anti-kosher mystery, or savory bachelor chow masterpiece?

Oyako-Don is made by first brewing a batch of dashi, which is a multi-purpose Japanese broth made from seaweed and fish flakes.  They use it for everything - miso soup, flavoring sauces, polishing leather, you name it.  I will provide a recipe for it at the end, it's incredibly easy and gives the dish body.  Consider that one of the two ingredients was the grandfather of MSG, and you'll understand why people like this stuff so much.  It's like Japanese cocaine.

Oyako-Don

• 4 cups cooked rice, kept warm
• 1/2 lb boneless chicken breasts or thighs
• 1/4 onion, sliced
• 1 cup dashi stock (could be konbu/bonito or shiitake)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1.5 tablespoons mirin
• 1.5 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 tbsp sake (optional)
• 1 large or 2 small eggs
• Green onion, chopped into 1-2 inch lengths
• 4-6 snow peas, julienned (optional)

The ingredient list is short and sweet.  Note the homemade dashi in the measuring cup - don't use the powdered stuff if you can avoid it

Cut chicken into small chunks, and slice onion.  Put the stock, soy, mushrooms, mirin and sugar in a small saucepan and simmer for a few minutes.  Put the chicken chunks and green onion in the pan and simmer on low heat for a few minutes.  Add the onion to the pan and simmer a few minutes more.

Whisk the eggs in a bowl.  Bring the soup back to a boil, and pour the eggs over chicken and onion.  Sprinkle on julienned snow peas if using.  Turn the heat to low and cover with a lid.  Turn the heat off after 1 minute.  You want to cook the egg without disturbing it much, so it forms loose, puffy scrambled eggs right in the broth.

Let the eggs cook in the broth without disturbing.  I'm going for a smaller batch next time - the recipe is already halved from what I used, so no adjustments necessary.

Divide the hot cooked rice between 4 bowls, then place the chicken mixture over the 4 bowls of rice.

Dashi

• 1 4"x4" square of konbu kelp, wiped clean with a damp cloth
• 1/3 cup shaved bonito flakes
• 4 cups cold water

The key ingredients to dashi.  At left, konbu, a type of kelp high in glutamic acid which led to the discovery of MSG (monosodium glutamate) and literally dripping with everyone's favorite new word, umami.  At right, bonito flakes, shaved from a very unhappy fish and bagged in individual packets perfect for one batch of soup base

Place the water in a medium saucepan.  Add the konbu.  Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat and discard konbu.  Add the bonito flakes and stir.  Turn off the heat and let stand for 2 minutes to allow the bonito flakes to settle.  Skim off any foam.

Line a large colander or strainer with cheesecloth and set it over a large bowl; carefully pour the dashi through to strain it.  Discard the bonito flakes.  The stock is ready for use and can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, but is best used the day it is made.  Called ichiban-dashi, this dashi is often used for clear soup.